Gabriella Papadakis, in a book, denounces the behavior of Guillaume Cizeron, with whom she won an Olympic gold and five world championships in dance. He reports her and NBC excludes her from Milan-Cortina
Together, in ice figure skating, they won one Olympic gold and one silver, five world titles, as many European and seven French. Gabriella Papadakis-Guillaume Cizeron, one of the most successful couples in the history of the specialty, with their unmistakable style, have enchanted juries, professionals and the public for years. She is a thirty-year-old from Clermont-Ferrand and a 31-year-old from Montbrison. After their triumph at the Beijing 2022 Games, they retired, separating their paths. Both, however, should also have had a role in Milano Cortina 2026. Gabriella as commentator for NBC. Guillaume, back on track in 2025, as a possible favorite for gold, this time alongside Laurence Fournier Beaudry, a 33-year-old of Canadian birth, flying the Danish flag until 2018 in tandem with Nikolaj Sorensen, then with the same partner representing his country: for the two, a fifth place in the world championship and a ninth in the Olympics.
complaint
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If only the publication of “Pour ne pas disparaitre” (“So as not to disappear”), a book written by Gabriella, on sale from Wednesday after the preview of some excerpts, sparked an uproar. The former athlete, in the pages, as well as in some interviews given to launch the work, says that during her career she found herself “in situations dangerous for her physical and mental health”, claiming to have long been “under the control of Cizeron”. Not only that: “The mere idea of finding myself alone with him terrified me – he explained -: the problem is that the type of relationship I had with Guillaume is common to the entire environment. I have experienced unacceptable situations, but precisely: this type of relationship reflects the one within the system.
It’s very common, there are many who live like this. The world of figure skating, for a woman, can be very complicated and difficult to deal with. Like many others, I often struggled to stay within it, ours is a very oppressive sport. After Beijing, however, I would have liked to continue: skating is my life. I went to therapy and dreamed of taking advantage of better conditions, of being able to change things, of having different examples than those I grew up with. But there was little that could be done: it didn’t work. Our conversations remained one-sided. I feared for myself again.”
consequences
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Result? Cizeron has sued his ex-partner for defamation and threatens legal action. And Gabriella, while the world of social media is unleashed, has lost her job as a television commentator for the Olympics now upon us. “Unfortunately – she commented bitterly – they called me a few days ago telling me that they had changed plans. I’m sorry, but I was aware that by writing certain things and making certain revelations I would have annoyed many. It’s never good for those who speak against the system.” Ah, Guillaume-Fournier Beaudry, after a season during which they often had problems with the juries, are competing at the European Championships in Sheffield, the last competitive test before Milan Cortina. After Friday’s Rhythm Dance I am in the lead with 86.93 points. In front of the British hosts Lilah Fear-Lewis Gibson (85.47) and the Italians Charlene Guiganrd-Marco Fabbri (84.48) who are chasing their fourth consecutive title. On Saturday, in the free, anything can happen again. And Papadakis? Alone, at home, in front of the TV.
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